Take a look at chipped shale.

consider plum slate 20 mm chippings:

Doug, those are both very pretty and calming to me.

Here is decomposed granite in the application you mention. Works like a charm, though perhaps more difficult to obtain in specific locations.

Farmhouse Patio · More Info

I was originally going to install a composite deck but due to delays decided to rethink it all and am having a primary patio of tumbled pavers (Unilock Brussels block raised using the Pisa retaining wall system). I think the secondary area should be a different substrate and love the idea of something a little more fluid and organic like the DG.

Thanks for the picture, K&D. That is very close to what we are wanting. I took a look at the Kafta page and it appears that the standard would be applicable for my situation.

Aurora, do you have a plan so we could see how it fits relative to the house and other things in your plan? Even if it looks great, you may not like the side-effect of it if too close to the house so that people end up tracking sand onto the floors.

Another granular material that makes a great walking surface if you can get it is crushed brick.

Yardvaark, I do have a drawn pic but since I have not contracted with the installer yet it is not yet in my hands for reference but I do have a very similar representation of another proposal we received and will upload that.

We used decomposed granite for walkways at our Texas house and it has held up extremely well for many years. As long as you have something for a border to keep it from spreading out into the grass (plastic or metal edging, rock, etc.), it stays on the path through all types of weather.

We were interested in similar walkways for our Virginia house, and found that decomposed granite is impossible to find in home stores here. We have been told to buy crushed bluestone and/or stone dust instead.

Bruce

I am attempting to attach a preliminary plan. Hope it is readable. Basically, there will be a paver walkway from the front yard to the back directly leading to a paver patio of around 375 square feet (our interior door wall is a sliding door on the back of the house from the family room). This is where the dining table and the gas grill will be located. Then two steps down there will be a crushed stone secondary area to be used for a firepit and lounge chair area (and maybe a charcoal grill on occasion). The decomposed stone will be surrounded by stone boulders.

We do not go barefoot outside at all. But once we hit the inside of the house, shoes are off. There will be scatter rugs inside and mats on the outside. The secondary area will not be used every day.

Our original plan was to have a deck instead of a paver patio and then use the pavers where I am now thinking crushed stone. I do not like the idea of all pavers for both areas.

I believe that would work out OK. There will be some tracking of sand onto the patio, but it could be controlled pretty well with a mat at the door and period patio cleaning. (As Babs mentioned, the fire pit gravel is not going to be nice to walk on unless it has fines in it.)

You're not asking about it, but if not too late, I'd square up the patio piers that flank the steps to the fire pit area. Would also do less hemming/hedging in of the patio and the fire pit, and simplify & smooth out the bed line. Hopefully, the fire pit diameter is not less than 14'.

Yardvaark, those were going to be columns flanking the patio (possibly). The crushed stone area was going to be about 18 feet in diameter and a little less round of a shape after all.

I do have site finished hardwood floors and I am concerned about tracking. For the most part it is just two of us and we are fastidious about taking our shoes off.

One installer recommended a man-made flagstone looking product that is similar to a paver product (called Rosetta Grand). I am not a fan of it as it looks too much like puzzle pieces and sort of fake. The other installer only uses natural flagstone and said it would blow our budget. We are the ones that suggested the crushed stone but perhaps like many homeowners, we don't know any better! If we went all paver, I think it would be just too much of one texture.

"If we went all paver, I think it would be just too much of one texture."

I disagree. Multi-level patios made out of the same material are not only handsome, the expansiveness adds another degree of luxuriousness. They are common and I'm sure you could find dozens of pictures that illustrate the point. The only thing the fire pit requires is a circle cut-out of the patio & curb. But looks-wise it would be no problem.

I guess I should clarify what we are thinking for the "fire-pit" area. We want to keep that part fluid in use and are more interested in having a portable metal unit that can moved around (when cool of course). I like the idea of being a little more flexible with the space (portable hammock, extra dining if there is a party, long lounge chaises, etc.).

But I am also trying to keep costs in check a little as well. We are running about $5K over budget and either need to scrap something or get realistic and pony up the extra funds. If we can't justify the funds, this secondary area may need to be scrapped. Costs were another reason we suggested a crushed stone rather than more pavers. Although I don't know if the crushed product is actually saving us that much money after all.

I really appreciate the feedback. Thanks and keep the suggestions/knowledge coming! The way I figure it, I make a better customer when I am better informed.